Hogwarts: Origins
by Jalen Strix
Summary: A collection of short pieces related to the origins of Hogwarts. Rated T in case adult-ish themes strike. Given my inclinations, drama and humor are the most likely genres and the Founders are the most likely main characters. All but the most recent chapter will be posted in chronological order.
1. Things That Will Be

**Things That Will Be**

_Godric and Salazar are spurred to action._

* * *

Godric closed his eyes, shutting out the pitiful carnage. The bodies were so very small. "You're right. This can't keep happening. If there's a place for children to go...a safe place to learn...this won't...this..." His lips pressed together in bitter silence, his spine rigid as he forced his eyes back open. "They were just _children_, Sal. How could they be such cowards, to do this to their own children?"

"They fear what they don't understand, Ric." Salazar placed a hand gently on Godric's shoulder. "Their numbers are greater than ours. Greater numbers mean greater power unless counteracted." His eyes rested on the charred remains. "When we're so young, our natural gifts aren't nearly enough."

"It has to stop." Godric's voice was as unyielding as stone.

Salazar nodded. "What we build will make it stop. It will be a haven for our children, where they can come into their heritage unmolested."

Godric shifted his gaze to Salazar. "I take it you have a plan already."

Salazar smiled. "Don't I always?"


	2. What's in a Name?

**What's in a Name?**

_Salazar considers a proposed name for the school._

* * *

Salazar looked at the other three. "Hogwarts. You want to call our fledgling school...Hogwarts."

Helga's smile was brilliant. "Yes. A play on hogwort. Very useful plant for getting things moving."

Salazar turned to Godric. "I'm sure you think this is amusing."

"I do." Godric was grinning like a fiend. "Especially once Hel told me exactly what the plant's used for. Useful stuff, that croton oil."

Salazar closed his eyes for a moment, and then turned pleadingly to Rowena. "Ro, surely you don't think this is a good idea. Who would trust their children to an institution whose name inspires images of hogs, unpleasant skin growths, and - should the listener happen to be versed in herbology - _laxatives_?"

Wry amusement twinkled back at Salazar. "Think of the strategic value, Sal. Who would bother with a place like that casually? Only those we inform about its true nature. And," she added meaningfully, "the poor children we rescue. Believe me, those children won't care in the slightest. They'll simply be grateful it exists."

Salazar looked back at her, considering. "Point taken." He smiled slowly in his lop-sided way. "Alright. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry it is."


	3. Recruitment

**Recruitment**  
_Salazar Slytherin describes Slytherin House values to the first batch of Hogwarts students.  
_

* * *

Salazar stood in front of the new students, a charismatic force of nature. He made a grand flourish and then stood stock still, arms outstretched, his resonant voice filling the space of the Great Hall. "Who will tell me their favorite taste?"

The students were transfixed. And silent.

"Come now...is it roast venison perhaps, that first succulent taste of hot meat in your mouth? Or perhaps candied pears, the delicate sweetness cascading across your tongue? Or perhaps the spicy bite of ginger root, its heat building against your teeth?"

"Apples just picked," called a tentative voice.

"Fresh bread hot from the oven."

"Peppermint tea made just for me."

"A bite of meat pie I stole from a cook trying to brain me with a frying pan." This last voice was defiant, daring anyone to judge her.

Salazar's smile illuminated the hall, falling like a beam of rippling sunlight on the girl. "It seems we may share similar tastes, my young friend." His gaze turned out to capture the rest of the students. "Do you all want to know _my_ favorites?"

Young heads bobbed in unison, mesmerized.

"I love the taste of victory after a battle thought lost, the taste of conquering those who would hurt me and mine. I love the taste of my will carving events into the shapes I would make them. I love the taste of power, the power to live as I am without fear of _what_ I am. The power to save who I can from fates they don't deserve. The power to change the world for the better." He paused, letting the rolling chords of his voice echo. "I'm looking for those who would have similar tastes to be members of _my_ house."

Possibility curled around the hall amidst a wave of churning imaginations and utter adulation.

Salazar bowed to the students. They inclined their heads back, as one.

Godric whistled low. "Damned hard to top that pitch," he muttered. "Sal always _was_ the consummate performer."

Rowena's lips flicked up. "Well, you best try. You're up next."


	4. Defenses

**Defenses**

_Salazar Slytherin defends a new addition to Hogwarts. Written for the prompt "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."_

* * *

"It's a _basilisk_, Sal." Helga crossed her arms. "Exactly why did you think it would be appropriate to keep it in the bowels of Hogwarts?"

Salazar tutted gently. "Now Helga, where's that compassion of yours? The creature was all alone when I found it. Just a baby fending for itself."

Rowena rolled her eyes. "A baby that becomes a slavering monster which just happens to kill horrifically."

Salazar smiled. "Precisely. Think of the strategic value - who would dare attack Hogwarts when such a beast could slither to our defense and devastate any invaders?"

Helga harumphed, but Rowena tilted her head thoughtfully.

Godric cleared his throat. "Yes, but how do you propose to keep it from devastating _us_, Sal? Basilisks aren't exactly known for their loyalty."

Salazar's smile curved higher. Victory was nigh. "At its core, it's a snake, Ric. You know how well snakes and I get along."

Godric narrowed his eyes. "A very large, very powerful snake."

Sal's eyes sparked. "Think of the challenge of taming it, Ric. We'd be the first in the history of the world."

Godric inhaled slowly. "That _would_ be rather glorious, wouldn't it?"

Salazar turned back to Rowena and Helga. "So then, agreed? The basilisk stays?"

Rowena nodded. Helga's lips remained pursed.

"Hel?" Salazar crossed to her, taking her hands in his. "What can I do to calm your worries?"

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Can you guarantee it will only be accessible when needed? And only by someone who can...control it?"

Salazar glanced at Godric, who winked. "I'm sure we can come up with something."


	5. Deadly Force

**Deadly Force**

_Salazar argues for a particular addition to the new Hogwarts curriculum._

* * *

"You want to show them _what_?"

Salazar enunciated the words with cool precision. "The Killing Curse."

Godric shook his head. "Look, Sal, I'm with you on the obligatory Battle Magic class. But the Killing Curse? Seems...risky."

Salazar raised a sardonic eyebrow. "This from the man who's wholeheartedly helping me tame our resident Attack Basilisk?"

Godric's lips twitched briefly. "Well...that's different. We're not showing all the students how to summon the thing."

"Besides," added Rowena, "you just know some fool teenager will use the Killing Curse on another when adolescent emotions are running high, and _then _where will we be?"

Salazar shrugged. "That can be mitigated with proper training. We make it very clear that it's deadly force and only to be used in life-threatening situations. But they should know how to use it properly." His eyes sparked with brutal memory. "Better to know it and not need it, than need it and not know it."

"And how will we make it clear that it's not just any old curse?" asked Helga, her voice a warm throb. "How do we make sure they _know_, Sal? This isn't the Stinging Jinx. This brings unstoppable death."

"The same way we teach them everything else. We show them how it works, what it does, and what the consequences are for misusing it."

Rowena arched an eyebrow. "And what _are _the consequences for misusing it? What exactly are we going to do them if they use it improperly?"

"Depending on the level of misuse...suspension, expulsion, excommunication."

"Excommunication?!" Helga was horrified. "What does that even mean?"

Salazar reached to take Helga's hand in his. "You remember why we founded this school? You remember what the Muggles do to magic-users? Especially our little ones, too young to defend themselves? Do you remember the burnt bodies?"

It was Godric who spoke finally, his voice low and grating. "We remember."

Salazar inhaled slowly. "Those who abuse their power to willfully harm other magic-users...they don't deserve our community's protection."

Helga's eyes widened. "But they're just children..."

Rowena tilted her head, considering. "Deadly force requires deadly consequences if abused. Alright - I support teaching the Killing Curse if it's properly done. It's a powerful weapon, and our students should know how to use it appropriately."

Salazar smiled, his eyes meeting hers. "Thank you, Ro." He turned to Godric and Helga. "And you? What say you both?"

Godric glanced at Helga. "They'll need very strict guidelines on when it's right to use."

Salazar's lips flicked up in a half-smile. "I was hoping you'd help me with that."

Godric nodded. "Then I'm for it."

Helga looked pained. "Sal, Ro, Ric...it's just so devastating a curse. To both victim _and_ user."

Rowena nodded. "But when you need it, nothing else will do," her eyes caught Helga's, "as each of us knows from experience. Is it fair to deny our students that knowledge when it might save their lives one day?"

Silence curled for a few moments. "No," said Helga softly, "I suppose it's not."


	6. Resolution

**Resolution**

_Salazar is devastated by an attack on Hogwarts, and Helga tries to comfort him._

* * *

Helga gently rapped on Salazar's door. "Sal? Can I come in?"

Silence slapped back. But the locking mechanism on the door clicked open.

She peered into the gloom, eventually making out a still figure lying on the velvet chaise lounge.

She dragged a chair next to him and sat down. "Not your usual welcome, Sal." Coldness snapped and broke over them both. Helga shivered. "I know this is especially hard for you."

"Do you?" His voice whipped out like a blade.

She flinched, and then her own temper straightened her spine. "Unending empathy, remember. As you're so fond of telling me."

He snorted.

She ignored him. "May I tell you a story?"

"If you must."

Heartbeats passed. "Once upon a time, there was a man with a dream. He was a visionary man, a brilliant man." She caught his eyes in hers. "A compassionate man. And he saw how the magical children of England were suffering so terribly, especially the ones of muggle heritage. '_I will build a place for them to be safe,'_ he said. And he did, with the help of his three best friends. It was a glorious magical school, a haven for every magical child in England, no matter where they came from."

Salazar's eyes glinted with something unreadable.

"But every dream comes with its own trials, and this one was no different. A muggle-born child made the mistake of telling his muggle kin about the magical school. But the muggle kin didn't understand and developed a great fear and, in their ignorance, attacked the school with a mighty muggle force."

Salazar's jaw clenched.

"It was a terrible battle. Many lives were lost, both magical and muggle. And the man fell into a bleak depression, for he feared his dream could not be."

His eyes burned into hers, aching.

She lifted her chin. "But he was _wrong_, Sal. It was a beautiful dream. And when things don't go as planned, you don't just give up on a beautiful dream. You find a way to bend things to your will. You never _ever_ give up. The man had taught his three best friends this very lesson."

She took his hand in hers, feeling it tremble.

"And so one of his friends took it upon herself to remind the man of his own resourcefulness and perseverance. Because she believed in his beautiful dream. All magical children would be safe, muggleborn and magical-born alike."

Silence coiled between them, his hand still trembling in hers. But then, he took a deep breath and it became still.

"Let me tell _you_ a story, Helga." Weariness wrung his voice like a rag. "Once upon a time, there was a man with a dream that he could save every magical child in England. All could be trusted because all knew what it was to wield magic." His eyes caught hers, his voice dwindling to a whisper. "But he was _wrong_."


	7. Secrets

**Secrets**

_Written for a ravenclaw-house lj gift exchange, with a collection of prompts including the Founders era during Christmas time and a Secret Santa among the Hogwarts staff._

_This snippet: Helga proposes a Secret Santa gift exchange to celebrate Christmas with Rowena, Godric, and Salazar. Events from Rowena's perspective._

* * *

I looked at Hel for a long moment, and then eyed Ric's maniacal grin. "I don't know….there are only four of us. And Ric's present-wrapping attempts are...distinctive."

Ric fluttered his eyelashes at me. "Why, whatever are you saying, my dearest Rowena?"

I snorted. "I think I just said it." I turned back to Hel. "Why exactly is this a good idea?"

"Camaraderie," she replied, showering Sal with enough determined sunniness to spontaneously combust. "Communal cheer."

Sal closed his eyes briefly and sighed. "Hellie, your attempt to smooth over some of the...wrinkles in our interactions the last few months is appreciated. But this isn't the way."

Hel's jaw got that very special fixed set to it that meant Hell would sprout icicles before she gave up. "Why not?"

Ric's smile got just a shade colder, in a way that was growing frighteningly more common. "Indeed, why _ever_ not, Sal? Don't like us enough anymore to get even one of us a small gift?"

Sal arched an eyebrow. "Your unsubtle attempt at manipulation is noted."

Silence dribbled by for a few moments. Hel pressed again. "Well? How about it, Sal?"

Sal crossed his arms. "No."

Hel crossed her arms back at him. "Explain to me why not."

"Because it wouldn't help," Sal said.

"How do you know until you've tried?" Hel asked.

"Because I know, " he said.

"_Do _you?" she countered.

I could see right where this was headed. "Sal."

He looked up at me.

I took a deep breath. "Will you _please_ agree to participate in this secret gift exchange of Hel's? It will save Hel days of coaxing, wheedling, and otherwise aggravating you into acquiescence, and me and Ric from having to listen to it." I pointed a finger at him. "No, don't just stand there arching that eyebrow of yours at me. You know it's true. I know it's true. We all know it's true. So do the gentlemanly thing and save us all the collective irritation of it."

All three of them stared at me for a very long moment before Ric began to clap softly.

Sal's lips twitched. "You do have a way of laying things out so very logically."

I dropped a quick curtsy. "That's what I'm here for. Now then, are we all agreed?"

Hel and Ric nodded.

I looked over my spectacles at Sal. "Well?"

His silky laughter burst over us like a sunrise. "You've really mastered that look, Ro. How could I refuse it?"

I felt my own lips curling in satisfaction. "Good."


End file.
